ARTISTS’ STUDIO TOUR OPENS – The 22nd Annual Artists’ Studio Tour kicks off Friday, Oct.12 with a party at the Tenmarc Building and will continue throughout the weekend of Oct. 13-14. The tour will include the work of more than 400 artists, including painter Bunny Perlman, who will exhibit “A Time for Counting” at 313 Third St.

On Tuesday, Oct. 16, the state legislature’s Joint Committee on the Public Schools will hold a special hearing in Jersey City to listen to the concerns of local parents. The hearing will take place from 10:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at the Joseph H. Brensinger School (PS 17), at 600 Bergen Ave.

A 14-member committee comprised of state senators and assembly representatives, the committee provides ongoing monitoring of the state’s public school systems, their financing, administration, and operations. When appropriate, the committee also recommends legislative policies

When the state took over the local school districts in Jersey City (1989), Paterson (1991), and Newark (1995), the Joint Committee began continuous interaction with the superintendents, school boards, and communities in these cities. Since 1995 the Joint Committee has played an active role in the development of laws governing the creation of charter schools in the state of New Jersey.

Most recently the Joint Committee has created a Sub-Committee on Jersey City at the urging of the locally-based Parent Advocacy Group.

The Oct. 16 meeting is likely to draw a large crowd. Therefore, the committee asks that members of the public who wish to speak before the committee members sign up prior to Oct. 16. To sign up to speak at the public hearing, call Melanie Schulz at (609) 633-6787 or e-mail her at MSchulz@njleg.org.

New resident killed on MLK Drive

Jersey City police are seeking help locating the person or people who shot and killed a 21-year-old man on Martin Luther King J. Drive on Sept. 28.

The victim was shot twice – once in the abdomen and one once in his lower back – while sitting in a parked car on MLK Drive. at around 5 p.m., according to a report from the daily newspaper.

The victim, whose family is based in Virginia, had recently relocated to Jersey City, according to the report.

Police do not believe the victim, who was identified in the newspaper as Jalauni Harrington, knew his attacker or attackers and at this time there is no known motive for the murder.

Anyone with information regarding this murder is urged to call the Prosecutor’s office at (201) 915-1345.

This is the second time this year that a new resident to Jersey City has been murdered shortly after relocating to this area.

Facebook co-founder to keynote business symposium

On Fiday, Nov. 2 at 8 a.m. Chris Hughes, co-founder of Facebook will serve as the keynote speaker for the Saint Peter’s University Regents Business Symposium. The symposium will take place at the Jersey City Hyatt Regency.

Hughes’ talk will cover “Social Business: It’s More Than Just Facebook,” which is the theme of the symposium, one of New Jersey’s longest-running forums designed to inspire and educate professionals of all industries. This year the symposium will explore social business and the notion that the very nature in which we communicate and do business has fundamentally changed.

In addition to Hughes, Doug Palmer, principal and leader of social media and collaboration practice at Deloitte Consulting LLP, will serve as the opening speaker and panelists will include JJ Ramberg, host of MSNBC’s “Your Business”; David Meerman Scott, marketing and leadership strategist; and Elissa J. Glassband, partner at Patton Boggs LLP.

Father Robert E. Reiser, S.J., who has president of Saint Peter’s Preparatory School for seven years, has announced that the 2012-2013 school year will be his last at the Jersey City school.

“Jesuits are people on the move,” he recently explained in a letter sent to the Saint Peter’s Prep community. “They are not meant to stay in one place, but rather are invited to venture into the world, seeking the ‘magis,’ that is, the greater glory of God.”

A graduate of Canisius College, and degrees from Harvard, the University of Rochester at Fordham, and Weston Jesuit School of Theology, Reiser became president of Saint Peter’s Prep in July 2006. Over the past seven years, Prep has experienced marked growth in several areas, including its fiscal strength and fundraising, faculty/staff development, academic affairs, student recruitment, and physical operations. During Reiser’s tenure the school built a new science center; saw the growth of its endowment for scholarships and financial aid to $18 million; experienced the expansion of the faculty; increased advanced placement courses; and expanded its athletic department.

First annual job fair for the differently abled

On Thursday, Nov. 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Hudson County Schools of Technology will hold a job fair for differently abled adults. The fair will take place at the Hudson County School of Technology, at 525 Montgomery St., in Jersey City. There will be a resource room available for employers where businesses can learn the advantages of hiring the disabled, including lower turnover, increased attendance, and possible tax credits.

College, career, and self-advocacy fair

The Department of Programs and Services of the Jersey City Public Schools will host its fourth annual district-wide College, Career, and Self-Advocacy Fair on Thursday, Oct. 11, at the Franklin Williams Middle (PS #7), at 222 Laidlaw Ave. from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The purpose of the fair is to acquaint students from in grades 6 through 12 and their families with the college and career planning process, and to afford them the opportunity to gather information and meet with college, career, and community agency representatives. Over 100 colleges and business representatives will attend the fair, in addition to the local community agencies and organizations.

Workshop topics will include: financial aid, scholarship opportunities, essay writing, choosing the right college, and the high school application process, among other topics.

Transportation will be provided from the following schools starting at 5:30p.m. and will run throughout the evening: PS#23, MS#4,MS#40, MS 41 (Martin Center for the Arts), Dickinson High School, Lincoln High School, McNair High School, Ferris High School, Academy I and Snyder High School.

For more information, please contact your child’s school guidance counselor or call the Department of Programs and Services (201) 413-5762 or e-mail mmaloney@jcboe.org or rbetz@jcboe.org

Flea Market at St. John’s

St. John’s Lutheran Church will host an outdoor flea market on Saturday, Oct. 13 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the church parking lot, located at Summit Avenue and North Street. For more information, call (201) 798-0545 or visit Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/409759515745611/.